Make the Most Out Of iOS 12 Subscription Based Apps

The upsurge in mobile apps has escalated to over 2 million apps in the Apple App store alone. This advancement in mobile app technology is clearly encouraging new startups to set their business offerings on a mobile app. However, the utmost goal of creating an app is not only to get an appropriate amount of traffic or an increase in user retention rate instead, the one factor that most app developers miss out is the method of monetizing your app.

With the release of iOS 12, Apple has brought a change to their monetization model of one-time in-app purchases to subscription-based apps. Developers can now incorporate subscription options in apps, allowing users to make recurring payments and in turn get premium content, services and features. However, the process of monetization is not that simple. The goal is not to generate revenue alone instead; you need to create value for your users or else they can easily find your substitute.

Why App Monetization?

Before proceeding to understand how subscription apps work, one should know about every element of app monetization strategies. According to App Annie, it is accumulated that by 2020, the revenue generated from in-app advertising will reach $189 billion. There is a plethora of free apps available but choosing the right monetization strategy can transform your app into a stream of revenue generation.

iOS, being one of the two major mobile app platforms, offers developers various monetization methods for apps. Monetization strategies work for both Android and iOS but Apple users tend to pay more for apps compared to Android users. This fact conveys how iOS users are not new to the notion of paid apps but the accelerated replacement of in-app purchases to subscription models is showing incredible growth in apps for every scale and kind.

How Subscription Models Are the Future of Monetization

Apple introduced the subscription model to make iOS users transcend from the use of one-time purchases. It might not seem so but single purchases are not cost-effective and with time become stagnant and monotonous for the user. However, subscription services provide value to users by making regular updates and changes in the features of apps.

The subscription model only works when your app offerings have something elusive and beneficial to the user. This conveys that the process of incorporating subscription models is harder than it seems but also highly lucrative.

Apple’s intention is to bring sustainability to revenue generation.Different subscription options and prices will turn free users into loyal and high value customers however; it is challenging to incorporate such a monetization model. Before making this transition, here are few tips that you need to know:

Create Dynamic Relationships with Customers

Subscription models will not work if they do not bring value to the user. The only way to achieve that is to build a better user relationship first. The idea behind subscription options is to sustain relationships with no compromise on the quality and value of your offerings. People would not want to make recurring payments for something trivial as a planner app. The first step is to find your business niche.

Once you have found your niche, you need to analyze how your app can sustain value to justify subscription options. Netflix makes users pay an annual fee and in turn provide them with movie services and other relevant features that update over time. Providing value with your mobile app is a never-ending process.

One wrong step can dissolve the value your app has sustained so far. All you need to do is make sure your app never fails in terms of quality and sustains in giving great value to your users.

Keep Users Engaged with Your App

The better the user experience, the better the user engagement becomes. To convince a user to download and subscribe to an app is challenging. To make that possible, the apps needs to be highly engaging and fit perfectly to the requirements of the user. Analysis of audience demographic and preferences is necessary for this purpose therefore, before selecting a subscription model you need to prioritize the needs of your target audience.

Amazon Prime has a subscription service that takes an annual fee from users and in turn provides them with exclusive services and offerings that are different from what a normal user would get from Amazon. Amazon Prime is used on a wider scale, for this reason alone.

When you pay for something, you would tend to use it more. Users try to make their payments worthwhile therefore; subscriptions enable your app to have more user engagement. However, if you fail to deliver consistent value and quality then you will lose customers more often.

Build a Sustainable Revenue Stream

Apple has completely revamped its revenue strategy. If a user has subscribed to your app for over a year then you receive 85% of the subscription price. Apple has made auto-renewable subscriptions possible and this will bring an increase in recurring revenue generation. In-app purchases are only made once and do not help you as much as subscription services do.

Developers can now focus on building long-term relationships with customers and generate revenue annually. This enables them to form a sustainable revenue stream that is stable and reliable. This change in monetization methods is slowly changing the expectations of developers regarding app monetization. Users can opt for various subscription options. It can be either adding discount offers or updates in the app’s features and services. The goal is to generate revenue by keeping the users engaged.

Conclusion

It is certain that the process of selecting a particular monetization technique entirely depends on the scope, requirements and user preferences of your app idea. Users will not spend their money on something that is invaluable to them. Apple has given developers the opportunity to utilize subscription capabilities in their mobile apps however; exploitation of monetization will not yield your app the stature you desire. The only aspect that you need to consider is consistency and sustainability. If your mobile app manages to provide and demonstrate consistent value then the reliability and credibility of your app will grow as well.

Author Bio: Gerry Wilson is a professional mobile app developer. He is currently associated with Retrocube.com which provides quality mobile application development services.